Mancunians were numb with surprise. Their omnipotent team was audaciously outplayed and outscored Wednesday night. Its defenses fell to a slender goalscoring genie called Raul Gonzalez. Its attack foundered on the precociously composed goalkeeping of the 18-year-old Iker Casillas. And Manchester's era was over before its first anniversary.

Make no mistake, the English presumption of superiority has been put in its place by Spanish teams boasting cosmopolitan talents. First, Barcelona eclipsed Chelsea on Tuesday night, and now Real Madrid has eliminated United. When the Champions League semifinals are played early in May there will be three Spanish clubs in the fray.

Valencia, cunningly shown the art of hitting on the break by its Argentine trainer, Hector Cuper, now awaits Barcelona. Madrid has its second coming with Bayern Munich, which scored four goals in each leg, home and away, when they met earlier in the competition.

It will not be so one-sided again. For one thing, Casillas is no longer the callow youth he appeared that short time ago. The four brilliant, breathtakingly mature saves he made at Old Trafford demonstrated that he has greatness in the making and that Vicente Del Bosque knew what he was doing in promoting his boy from the youth team.

There's the key. Del Bosque, in middle age but a novice coach, was promoted as a stopgap after the usual midterm firing of a Real Madrid manager — in this case, John Toshack. Del Bosque is tough, however. He knows how to compete, knows defense, knows footballers.

The squad he inherited was superlatively gifted, but hiding its art under a bushel. Roberto Carlos at left wing-back, Raul and Fernando Morientes in attack, Fernando Redondo anchoring midfield, the English runner Steve McManaman and a smooth Brazilian, Savio, are talents the sum of whose parts Del Bosque is beginning to blend.

They are not the misfits that Bayern Munich routed two months ago. Their confidence is soaring after the performance in Manchester where, though they turned out in black (with a dash of gold) instead of the pristine white synonymous with Madrid, they evoked memories of the great days of Real.

They were assisted. Roy Keane, the warrior leader of United, feels he must be everywhere, and in the 19th minute, lunging at left back, he turned a cross from Michel Salgado into his own net.

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"Please," the own-goal seemed to invite. "Please take us, we are ready to capitulate."

After 50 minutes, Raul, responding to McManaman's burst out of defense, cushioned the ball on the outside of his left boot. It was the touch of an artist, accomplished without breaking stride, and he bettered it by curling the ball into the net beyond the reach, beyond the anticipation, of the goalie, Raimond van der Gouw.

Two minutes later, Redondo exceeded even that skill. He took the ball so close to Henning Berg that the United defender felt he could claim it. But then, inventing a back heel that totally bemused Berg, Redondo was away from his man and slipping the ball across the goal for Raul, with consummate ease, to score again.

If shock is tangible, it was there in the body language of every United player. If courage were contagious, we might all acquire some from watching Manchester when the cause seems lost. David Beckham, with skill and cute confidence the equal of Raul, pulled one goal back. Paul Scholes, with immense self-assurance, scored a second from the penalty spot.

But a third would not come. Why? "The goalkeeper was absolutely marvelous," Sir Alex concluded. "He did things that are just not normal for an 18-year-old."

"It's like a funeral in there," van der Gouw said of the United dressing room. "It's very quiet; it's not a nice place."

The club, the richest on earth, will get over it. Rebounding from adversity is part and parcel of the game, as Bayern Munich proved. Last May, the Germans tactically outsmarted United yet lost the Champions Cup to two astonishing goals in the final two minutes of play.

Hurt by that, spurred by that, Munich pledged to atone. It did not play particularly well in the Olympic stadium on Wednesday, rode its luck, and remembered the lesson of last May.

Paulo Sergio had put Bayern a goal up, but in the final minute Jardel, doing what he does so well, outjumped everyone to head in an equalizer for FC Porto. The away-goal rule would have made that the winner, but three minutes were added for injury and stoppage time. Bayern used that precious reprieve as Thomas Linke, a defender, stooped to head in a free kick, making it 2-1.

Linke thus converted defeat to victory. Some say this was Lady Luck balancing out her favors.

In truth, it was the reward for competitive morale.

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